Let It Be
by nsane1
Summary: Beka's cousin disrupts the lives of the crew (rating decreases in later chapters)
1. The Prodigal Cousin

letitbe1 Disclaimer: I own Andy, Kate, Charly, and the storyline. Other than that, they're not mine, baby. The song is Let It Be, by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, (c) 1970 

Spoilers: _It Makes a Lovely Light_ (not blatant) 

Summary: Beka's cousin disrupts the lives of the crew of the Andromeda. Written, for the first few chapters, in an alternating present/past format. Present takes place after the events of the season finale are resolved. Hopefully, you'll pick the format up as you go along. 

Author's Apology: To anyone who has autism or knows someone with autism...etcetera. I actually did research the disease. I know it isn't curable now, but this is in the future. Anything is possible. If this disturbs you, either e-mail me at nsane1@optonline.net or don't read the story. 

Author's Note: Warning! Themes of rape, death, and violence. This is a dark story. Or, at least it will be. Anyway, it has a not-so-convenient reset button at the end, so skip the last chapter if you don't like them, but be warned that IMHO, you're missing a great ending. Other than that, read and review! 

Author's Note Part Two: I have a good deal of this written (the part in the past, mostly). I'm just posting the first three chapters to get some reaction. 

**LET IT BE**

_When stars die, the universe cries out in agony_   
_But human life continues calmly on._   
_-Unknown, C.Y. 9500_

**_Chapter One: The Prodigal Cousin_**

"Hey, Captain Hunt, can I talk to Beka?" 

Dylan sighed. His day had just gotten worse. "I'm sorry, Rafe, she's on a supply run." Not to mention three days late. 

"All the better," Rafe said, glancing around nervously. 

Which meant all the worse for Dylan and the _Andromeda_. "Please explain, Mr. Valentine." 

"Well, I actually wanted a favor from you. One of my...friends was knifed in a bar fight. I'd bring her to a medical facility, but...well, let's just say I have neither the time nor the money." 

"So, you though we could help her out," Tyr finished blandly. 

"Hey, big guy, I wasn't asking you," Rafe retorted. "So, Captain, will you help me out? She's dying." 

That last bit had sounded too close to begging for Dylan to refuse. "Alright, Rafe, we'll take her." 

"Thanks, Captain, I owe you one. I've gotta run; I'm gonna drop her off in an escape pod." He disappeared before Dylan could say another word. 

Dylan sighed again. He had the feeling it was going to be a long eternity. 

************************************** 

"How is she, Trance?" 

"Well, she has a knife wound down her right side. I can fix that easily enough, but it's the fever I'm worried about. I can't control it. Her immune system is as bad as Harper's," Trance told him. 

"Well, keep trying," Dylan said, then frowned. "You know, she sort of reminds me of someone." 

"Yeah, me too," Trance agreed, standing next to him and staring at the red-haired woman. 

"If you harden her features, make them less pixie-like and a little sharper...make her hair blonde, short, and less curly...give her a 'tough' look...age her by about ten years..." Dylan trailed off, afraid to say it. 

Trance finished for him. "She's Beka." 

"They look so much alike, don't they," Dylan said. 

Trance just smiled. She had a good feeling about this woman. 

************************************** 

Dylan had been right. The woman had reminded him of Beka. He could see that now that he was looking at both women stretched out side by side on two bed on Med Deck. 

He had found out where Beka had been five hours after Rafe had left. Beka had stumbled onto the _Andromeda_ with a sprained knee, a bloody nose, a black eye, and a broken wrist. As to what had happened, he had no clue, since she passed out the moment she saw the other resident in Med Deck. Which made life so much more interesting. Unnecessarily. 

Just as a pounding headache was beginning to form, Beka stirred and her eyes blinked open. 

"Ow," she said groggily. 

Dylan handed her a painkiller. "How do you feel?" 

"Like I got run over by Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee," she groaned. 

Dylan winced as she used the rather undignified nicknames. "What really happened?" he asked, pulling up a chair next to her bed and artfully blocking her view of the room's other occupant. 

"Oh, some guy got upset over my supplies. He apparently thought I was paying too low a price, and hired a couple of goonies to get rid of me. They caught me when I was loading the cargo and beat me up pretty good before I managed to find my force lance and chase them away," Beka explained. 

"How did you manage to pilot with a broken wrist?" Dylan wondered. "Even you're not that good." 

"Thanks for the compliment. Well, I actually didn't." Beka looked a bit sheepish. "When Rommie was pulling me in, one of my doors malfunctioned...and I punched it." 

Dylan had to smile at that. "Good going." 

"Thank you. So, what's my cousin doing here?" Beka asked pointedly. 

"Who?" 

"The girl. On the bed over there. Well, I guess girl isn't the word...Andy'd be about 24 by now..." Beka trailed off, a faraway look in her eyes. Dylan hated to draw her back, but he had to ask. 

"She's your cousin? I didn't know you had a cousin," he blurted out, curiosity overwhelming him. 

"Yeah. Meet Cassandra Valentine, affectionately called Andy. She's my late dad's late brother's daughter. In some ways, you could say she's the best of the Valentines," Beka said wistfully. "She helped me out on the Maru for almost ten years. Great kid." 

Dylan smiled. "I was never very close to any of my cousins. You're very lucky." 

That was obviously the wrong thing to say. Beka closed her eyes and pain swept across her face. "We were close. We...had a disagreement about two years ago. I haven't seen her since; she's been living with my brother, I think." 

"Yeah, he dropped her off. Said she'd got into a fight," Dylan explained, cautiously putting an arm around her. He was surprised when she leaned into him.   
"No, that's not Andy. She was always so sweet, so shy and unprovocative. She would never have started a fight. Rafe must have done it. I never should have yelled at her," Beka said, frustrated. 

"Beka, whatever happened...I'm sure it wasn't your fault," Dylan comforted her, hoping she would open up, just a little. 

Nope. "How would you know?" she burst out, moving away from him and onto a safer topic. "So, what happened?" 

"Well, Rafe said they got into a fight at a bar and some guy knifed her. Trance had a little trouble at first, but she said Andy would be fine with a couple days rest," Dylan told Beka, who looked relieved. 

"That's good," Beka said. "We'll have to keep a close eye on her after that; she'll keep going till she drops. She was always like that." 

"Really?" 

"Uh-huh. Even when she was little." That faraway look was in Beka's eyes again. 

"How old was she when you first met?" 

"She was...seven, I think, and I was sixteen. We're really eight years apart, but Andy was born late in December. I started out hating her, but that was before we really met..." 


	2. When Beka Met Andy

letitbe2 Disclaimers, etc.: See Chapter 1 for these in length 

**_Chapter Two: When Beka Met Andy_**

"Are you kidding me?!" 

"It's only for few months, Rebecca," Ignatius said, trying to calm his daughter. 

"That's too long, and it's Beka," the girl icily informed him, storming off. She yelled angrily back over her shoulder, "And I'll kill myself if she's sleeping with me!" 

Ignatius Valentine shook his head. His sixteen-year-old daughter was in the midst of that teenage rebellion stage all children went through. Her hair, which made him regret giving her the nanobots, was at the moment bright green with bright purple streaks. He was guessing orange and blue would be next. Her clothes exposed more flesh than they covered, and the amount of make-up she wore in one day would probably cover the Maru twice over. He had given up counting the amount of times she had snuck out at night, and would have grounded her if she hadn't been so damned good at hacking her way off the ship. 

Sighing, he looked again at the letter that had gotten Rebecca-no, Beka-all worked up. 

My dearest Ignatius,   
How long has it been since I last saw you? Far too long, I believe. How are the children? Rafe seems to be growing into quite a handsome young man from the pictures you sent, and darling Rebecca must be sixteen by now. I have no doubt she's as beautiful as her mother was at her age.   
My children are fine. Gabriel has just turned fifteen and is getting into more trouble than is his due. Andy's seven (and a half, can't forget!), and she is as sweet as anything. It's hard to stay mad at her for any length of time, even if she accidentally flushes your favorite watch down the toilet.   
I'm writing this letter to ask a favor of you, concerning Andy, in fact. Joseph and I have urgent business to complete, and we cannot bring the children. Gabe is staying with my parents, but they neither want nor can afford a seven-year-old running underfoot. I was wondering if you could take Andy for the months of July, August, and September. We would greatly appreciate the favor, and could return it in kind if Rebecca or Rafe ever need a place to stay.   
Eagerly awaiting your reply,   
Cassie Valentine 

Of course, he had agreed, if only for his late wife's sake. Besides, maybe Andy would have a good effect on...Beka. Then again, as Beka's parting comment had intimated, maybe not. 

************************************ 

"Cheer up, Rebecca, or you're not going to the party tomorrow night." 

Beka just scowled more fiercely, upset that she couldn't hang out with her friends because she had to 'greet' her little cousin. 

"Alright, you're not going," Ignatius said. 

"But, Dad!" Beka protested. 

"No buts, Rebecca, you're not going." 

"Grow up, Beka," Rafe said smugly, even though he was just as resentful about being kept in the Maru. 

Luckily, any further argument was stayed by the arrival of their houseguest. Cassandra the younger was in her father's arms, looking around wide-eyed at the ragtag Eureka Maru. Her eyes settled on Beka, and widened even more as she took in Beka's blue-streaked orange hair. Without knowing why, Beka blushed and her hair lost some of the streaks. 

"Hi, Uncle Iggy," Andy said shyly, blinking her blue-green eyes at him. Her father put her down, and she gave Ignatius a hug. Rafe received a hug as well, and then Beka. None of them could resist hugging the child back, and each decided it was a 'seven-year-old thing'. 

"Why don't you talk with your cousins while I go over a few things with your Uncle Ignatius, okay, Andy?" Joseph told her, then drew his brother-in-law aside.   
Andy was left staring at her two cousins, one eight years her elder and the other ten. Both stared back at her, looking completely uninterested at the small person who had invaded their homes and their lives. 

"I'm going out," Beka informed the room icily, and stalked out. 

"Dad'll kill you," Rafe called out, then shook his head. "Sorry, Andy, gotta keep her out of trouble and meet my girl. See you later." 

Andy was left on her own. 

*************************************** 

"She's a quiet girl. She shouldn't give you any trouble. I just want to warn you-she really doesn't talk much. We took her to a doctor quite a few years ago, and he diagnosed her with very mild autism. The doctor said that she'll probably either grow out of it or get worse. We hope it's the former. She's gone through extensive therapy and has taken a lot of medication, and she is showing improvement. Anyway, we usually encourage her to form relationships with as many people as possible," Joseph explained. 

"I'll try, but I'm not sure Beka and Rafe are all that interested," Ignatius told him apologetically. 

"That's alright. Also, Andy's a real trooper; she doesn't really admit to pain. Just keep a close eye on her, and if she says something hurts or she feels sick, that usually means it's something serious. Take her to a doctor; we'll cover the cost." 

Ignatius nodded. "Anything else?" 

"Yes, actually, something I wanted to warn you about. The doctor told us that a small percentage of children with autism usually have some form of special talent...some have perfect memories, others are superb musicians. Andy...well, she judges people. She knows what type of person someone is the very moment she meets them. You have to see it to believe it. Anyway, some people, she shies away from, won't have anything to do with them. She...knows they're...'bad people,' as she says. Just wanted to let you know," Joseph finished. 

"Thanks for the heads-up," Ignatius. "She'll be fine with us, Joe." 

"I'll just go say goodbye to her now." 

Ignatius held in his anger as they found Andy alone, sitting on the floor and reading a flexi she had taken from her backpack. 

"Where'd your cousins go?" Joe asked, picking the girl up as she held out her arms. 

"Left," she said softly. "Don't leave, Daddy." Ignatius stepped back, giving the two some time alone. 

"Oh, sweetheart, I have to leave. Mommy and I will be back in a few months. Uncle Ignatius will take good care of you, and you'll have lots of fun with your cousins. Do you remember their names?" 

"Rebecca and Rafe," Andy responded promptly. "Good people." 

"Yes, good people, honey. I want you to talk to them, okay? Make friends, just like the doctor said. Okay?" 

"Okay, Daddy. Bye-bye," the girl said forlornly as he hugged her and put her down. 

"Goodbye, sweetie. Be good," Joe told her, then left, not looking back. 

Ignatius stepped into the room. "Do you want to see where you're going to sleep, Andy honey?" 

She started crying. 


	3. A Short Trip Back to the Present

letitbe3 Disclaimer, etc.: See first chapter. Discussed in length 

**_Chapter Three: A Short Trip Back to the Present_**

"You sound like you were one hell of a teenager," Dylan said, laughing. 

"Oh, yeah, I was awful. I think I was part of the reason Dad took Flash all the time. Then again, that started out way before Andy's first visit," Beka told him, not quite knowing why. She felt comfortable around Dylan at the moment. 

"Oh," was all Dylan could manage. 

"Well, I came to terms with that a long time ago," Beka said, hoping that Dylan would believe her. Both knew, however, that Beka was lying, and Beka's recent experimentation with Flash had proved it. 

"That's a hard thing to deal with, growing up with an addict," Dylan commiserated, sounding pitiful even to himself. 

"Well, I dealt with it," Beka assured him, far too distant. "Did ya know, Dad actually entered a rehab clinic before Andy came?" 

"Really? That couldn't have been fun," Dylan said, remembering Beka's withdrawal. 

"I doubt it was," Beka agreed, wincing and unconsciously touching her hair. "Ya know, I knew I should hate Andy. I mean, Dad went through detox for her, but never for me or Rafe. But I just couldn't. When she wakes up, and you really meet her, you'll find that it's impossible to hate Andy for any length of time. She's...just special."   
  
"She seems like a great person. I can't wait to talk to her," Dylan said, looking at the woman on the bed. Trying to get Beka to tell more of her story, he asked, "So Andy didn't mind you going out?" 

"She asked me if I hated her. I felt so awful about leaving her later-especially since my father restricted me to the Maru until she left," Beka said, laughing at her own stupidity. "I hated my father, not Andy, and I could never figure out why. The only consolation I had was that Rafe was grounded, too."   
  
"He couldn't have been too happy," Dylan replied, grinning at the image that entered his thoughts.   
  
"He cursed me out, in Andy's presence. Dad was so mad, he cut off all of Rafe's communications as well. Rafe ended up not speaking to me for a few weeks. I think that was why I got so close to Andy..." 


	4. Backyard Miracles

letitbe4 Disclaimer: see first chapter   
Author's Note: So I decided to post another chapter. I've had some time with Fanfic.net being down. Anyway, please review! 

**_Chapter Four: Back Yard Miracles_**

"Will you go to sleep already?!" 

Beka Valentine tossed and turned a few more times before she slammed a pillow over her ear. But nothing she did could block out the sound of soft crying from the tiny alcove in the wall where a small cot rested instead of a desk. Beka gave up and stumbled over. 

"Oh, shit!" she cursed, hitting the corner of the wall. The crying stopped, suddenly, reduced to sobs. "Lights on, low." 

A small figure appeared, with messy hair and a tearstained face. The pretty blue-green eyes that were so like Beka's were now red and swollen. 

"Mind if I sit down?" Beka asked, hoping she could talk the girl into going to sleep. 

Andy shook her head, but curled up in the corner of the cot that was farthest away from Beka. 

"What's wrong with you?" Beka said a bit too harshly. Hey, she was tired. 

Andy remained silent for a long time, sobs racking her body every once in a while. When she spoke, it was in a soft, hesitant voice. "You hate me?" 

It was a question, not a statement, as if the girl was unsure but could not properly express herself. Beka looked at the small thing in front of her, a smaller, more delicate and fragile version of herself. She looked at the red hair that both had inherited from the Valentine family genes; the blue-green eyes and curls that both had inherited from their twin mothers, Cassandra and Rebecca; the pale skin that came from both inheritance and a life spent under artificial light. Could she hate something that was a part of her? 

"No. Not anymore." 

With that, Beka extended her hand, and to her surprise, the little girl took it. 

"C'mere, you can sleep with me tonight, okay?" Beka offered, and was surprised again as Andy held out her arms to Beka. "What? Oh." 

Realization dawned on her as some mothering instinct in her showed its face, and she picked Andy up. The girl wrapped her arms around Beka and laid her head on Beka's should, completely at ease. Beka wondered at how light Andy was. She put Andy down in Beka's bed, and lay down beside her. Andy once again wrapped her arms around Beka and said, 

"Rebecca? Story?" 

Beka's eyes widened. "Story? I don't know any stories! At least, not any that Dad would want you to hear." 

"Please?" 

Andy was so plaintive that Beka did her best to make up a story, dredging up memories of romance stories she had read. She had liked none of them; the woman was never the heroine or even a strong character, but she suspected Andy would like a story like that. "Okay, well, there was-" 

"No. 'Once upon a time,'" Andy corrected, using the longest phrase Beka had heard from her. 

"Okay, once upon a time, there was a beautiful woman. She lived with her evil father and her brother, the jail keeper. They kept her locked inside her room all day and all night. But one day, a handsome man tried to rescue the woman, trying very hard to break through the barriers that surrounded her. The woman's father and brother worked to stop the man, setting up more and more challenges to stop the man from rescuing the woman. But the handsome man succeeded at last, and carried the woman off to his wonderful house, where they both had everything they wanted and a great sex life, and they lived happily ever after. The end," Beka finished, and looked at the girl. She was fast asleep. Finally. 

Just as Beka started to fall asleep, she heard a small voice whisper, "What's 'sex life'?" 

******************************************** 

"Good morning, Beka." 

"Mornin', Dad. Hey, mind if I take Andy planetside today? I heard there's a great little beach, and I want to teach her how to swim," Beka said, smiling at her dad. 

Ignatius smiled back. "What's this? You actually want to spend time with your little cousin? And a month ago, you were threatening to kill yourself." 

"I had...a change of heart, that's all," Beka said, shrugging, then plopped herself on her father's lap. "She's really sweet. Are you sure she wasn't adopted?" 

"She doesn't act too much like a Valentine, that's for sure," Ignatius replied. "She's her mother's daughter, that's for sure." 

"Mmm?" Beka wondered, leaning back against her father's chest and closing her eyes. She felt safe, like a little girl again. "What do you mean?" 

Ignatius wrapped his arms around his daughter and said, "Well, Cass is a special person. Always quite and calm, with a sort of balance around her. She rarely gets excited, or mad, but when she does...you get out of the way. And, whenever you're around her, you get the feeling that she has some special connection with the universe. She's a truly good person, Beka. Certainly not a Valentine." He got a faraway look in his eyes as he added, "Your mom was like that, too." 

"I miss her," Beka admitted softly. 

"You remember her?" Ignatius asked, looking worried. Beka didn't notice. 

"Just a little. Mostly blurry memories and a couple clear pictures of her. She looked sorta like me, and like Andy, too," Beka told him, smiling. 

"Well, you do know the reason you and Andy look so alike, right?" Ignatius wondered. When Beka shook her head no, he said, "Well, Joe and I are twins, and your mom and Cass are twins as well." 

Beka's eyes flew wide open. "You're kidding. I knew you and Uncle Joe were twins, but mom and Aunt Cassie?" 

"Nope. Have you ever seen your Aunt Cassie?" 

"No, I guess not." 

"I'll show you a picture sometime." 

"That's why Andy and I look more like sisters than cousins?" Beka asked, accepting it for the moment. 

"Probably," Ignatius answered. "That's also probably why my brother and I both fell in love with Reba and Cass-they're so much alike." 

"Did you love mom very much?" 

"Yes, of course," Ignatius said, too quickly, then changed the subject. "So, you want to take Andy to the beach?" 

Beka noticed her father's tenseness, and agreed. "Yup. She says she's lived on the Mikelmas Drift all her life. I figure it's time for her to learn about the real world." 

Ignatius laughed. "Just don't shock the child too much. Listen, how about you talk Rafe into going down with you? The three of you can stay for a week while I set up our next...business venture." 

Beka smiled and hugged her father gleefully. "You're the best, dad! Love you!" With that, she ran off to tell Andy the news. 

"I only wish I deserved that," Ignatius said softly.   



	5. The Cousin in Spite of Herself

letitbe6 Disclaimer: See first chapter   
Author's Note: Remember what I said about not posting stories till they're done? Well, this story's all planned out. In detail. So that's kind of like it's done.****

**Chapter Five: The Cousin in Spite of Herself**

"I think that vacation was the most fun I'd had in my entire life. Just me, Rafe, and Andy. We taught Andy how to swim, Rafe hit on a bunch of girls, and I met some cute guys in tight bathing suits." 

"Sounds like...fun," Dylan said, smiling as Beka blushed red. 

"Hmph," Beka answered. "My whole life was better, Dylan. Andy just had that effect. And it wasn't just that we were putting on a show for her. We were more like a family even when she wasn't around." 

"I believe you," Dylan assured her, hearing the need to convince him in her voice. 

"Why would I need you to believe me? It's true," Beka defended herself, instantly on guard. 

Dylan shook his head. "Never mind." 

A full-blown argument was stayed by slight stirring on the other bed. Before the fact could register in Dylan's brain, Beka was up and holding Andy's hand. 

"Andy? Andy, are you awake?" Beka asked hesitantly. Dylan quietly left the room. 

The red-head blinked her eyes open slowly. She squinted, trying to make sense of the blonde circle that blocked her vision of the ceiling. "Rebecca?" Andy asked, hoping she wasn't making a horrible mistake. She blinked a few times, clearing her vision, confirming that who she saw was the person she had wished to see for two years. "Rebecca...what did you do to your hair?" 

Beka laughed self-consciously. "Same old Andy, huh? Always concerned about my hair." 

Andy frowned. "You're not...mad?" 

"No, of course not, sweetie. I thought you were mad at me!" Beka exclaimed, confused. 

"Oh, Rebecca, I stopped being mad at you ten nanoseconds after I walked out the airlock," Andy told her, as confused as Beka was. "I thought you were mad at me. I thought...I thought you didn't want me back." A hint of the seven-year-old came into her voice. "I thought you hated me...for disobeying you and loving him." 

"No, Andy, I was wrong, you keep on loving him, baby. Forgive me?" Beka asked. 

"Of course I forgive you! But can you forgive me?" Andy wondered, as the tears began to come. 

The fact that Beka started to sob and flung her arms around Andy was answer enough. The tears of the two who were nearly one mingled and became unneeded, and past wrongs were made right, and broken hearts were mended, and love was reunited and strengthened...all in the space of a heartbeat. 

********************************** 

"So what ended up happening was that me and Andy caught something at the beach, and we both got really sick halfway through the drug raid. We stuck it out through the end, with me caring for Andy and Rafe trying to care for me. I remember being the getaway pilot, because my dad said he was depending on me to get us out of there, real fast. I don't remember anything after that besides waking up in a hospital and being surprised that my dad actually paid for hospital bills. Rafe told me long afterward that I almost died on the Maru, and Dad got scared and took me to the hospital and the doctors still had trouble pulling me through. I still have the scars from the various I.V.'s they stuck in me. Andy was fine; she bounced right back after about a day in the hospital. She left the next week, and thing were fine for about a month after that. But one day...Dad needed to make a drug run, and he took Flash...and life was back to normal," Beka finished sadly, picking at her food. 

"Things weren't really back to normal, were they," Dylan stated, taking a sip of his wine. 

"No, they weren't. Some part of us still remembered that we could be a family, but without Andy there...things got worse. Rafe and I fought all the time, Dad began taking far too much Flash, we began taking more and more risks. One day, Rafe told me what really happened to my mom during a big fight, Dad heard him, and Rafe left. Not too long after that, Dad O.D.'d on Flash, and I was left with little more than the Maru," Beka said, contemplating the wine and deciding it wasn't worth it. 

"Beka..." Dylan started, then continued with some trepidation. "Nothing that you told me will ever pass my lips unless you want to talk about it." 

Beka smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Dylan. Thanks for listening. Somehow it made me feel better to talk to someone. But don't ever expect it to happen again," she said, shaking her finger at him. Dylan got the impression that, despite her joking tone, she was deadly serious. 

"Now," she continued, taking a few last bites of her food, "I think Andy would like to talk to you." 

As one cousin replaced the other, Dylan was struck once again at how similar they looked. As he talked to Andy, he realized how different they were on the inside. 

"Hello, Captain Hunt," Andy said shyly, eyes slightly downcast. 

"Dylan, please," he told her. "Sit down." 

She did so, finally meeting his eyes and smiling at him. "You're the best person I've met in a long time...although you've got the potential for evil things, I don't think you'd use it unless absolutely necessary, and even then you'd think twice." 

Dylan just blinked at her, taken aback by her odd statement. "What do you mean?" He marvelled at her odd change in demeanor, from shy to friendly and trusting in a single instant. 

"Hasn't Rebecca been talking to you about me?" Andy wondered, frowning. "I don't know what I mean, I just know about people." 

"Beka...mentioned it," Dylan said in amazement. 

"She was a bit surprised the first time I read someone too. Most people are. Some doctors have tried to study me, but they don't know how I do it. Most have come to the conclusion that it's a phenomenon of the autism I had as a child," Andy explained. 

Dylan shook his head. "That's an amazing ability. You know, you should meet Trance. She can sort of...read people, too." 

"Trance...who is she?" Andy asked. "Oh, she must be the person who replaced the man that replaced me. Shay told me about her." 

"Shay," Dylan said. "Do you mean Harper?" 

"Harper...right, that's what he tells people to call him. I though I broke him of that habit. Yes, Harper," Andy agreed. She was quite animated now, in a gentle sort of way. 

"Harper...what's your relationship with him?" Dylan asked. 

"That's a long story," Andy said, laughing. 

"I'd like to hear it," Dylan told her. 

"I guess Shay wouldn't mind..." 

Review...please! 


	6. A Glance at a Future Past

letitbe6 Disclaimer: See first chapter. _Let It Be _belongs to the Beatles.   
Author's note: Here's where the rating really becomes R. And yes, this chapter is sorta long.****

**Chapter Six: A Glance at a Future Past**

"You mean you're going to hire someone?" an incredulous Andy exclaimed to her cousin. "We'll never have the money to pay anybody, even someone horrible."   
  
"Rev managed to settle most of our debts by talking and threatening his way out of them, and I settled the rest, so we'll have just enough money to hire an engineer," Beka explained, wincing at Andy's expression of disbelief.

"Yeah, someone cheap, dishonest, and skilless," Andy replied, then sighed mournfully at her older cousin's stubbornness and stupidity. "You know, Rebecca, I can fix the Maru perfectly fine on my own."

"I know, _Cassandra_, but our last little adventure completely blew the engines. We're either gonna need a miracle to fix them or an expert," Beka said, slightly annoyed at her younger cousin. For all of their eight-year age difference, seventeen-year-old Andy still believed she knew more than her twenty-five-year-old cousin. Trying to make the girl see reason, Beka tried a different approach. "Besides, you can't keep doing everything. You'll kill yourself."

"I suppose you know best." The tone of Andy's voice clearly stated the opposite. "You want me to start interviewing people?"

Beka smiled in triumph. "Well, you'd know better than I would what qualities we need in an engineer. Just don't let'm know in advance how low a salary we'll be offering," Beka added, knowing her cousin's tendency towards complete honesty, a trait she was convinced would eventually get them both killed.

"Sure," Andy sighed, defeated. "I'll start tomorrow, okay? I'm tired."

"Whatever you want. Just find someone by the time Rev gets back," Beka reminded her. After that they had to run, and run fast. Beka didn't know what Rev had done to settle the debts, but she knew it hadn't been pretty-or completely legal.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, Rebecca," Andy shouted back over her shoulder as she disappeared into her room. Her voice faded away as she muttered, "My goodness, I'm going to have to write Rafe again."

Beka shook her head as she, too, prepared for sleep. She talked to herself as she changed, a habit that was occurring more often of late. "Why do I keep that kid around anyway? Annoying little stowaway. Oh, yeah. Because she's my cousin. Because I don't even want to imagine what Uncle Joe will do to her if she lives with him. Because I don't want Rafe to corrupt her. Still, she's annoying. But in a useful sort of way. Beka, you're a real mess, you know." She collapsed on her bed and fell asleep.

***************************************** 

Andy sighed as she wandered through the station searching for likely candidates. She hated to be in a situation like this. Rafe had tried to teach her how to fend off unwanted attentions, but had quickly given it up as hopeless.

"Don't touch me!" she said in a tone only slightly under a shriek as a huge drunk tried to fondle her. That wasn't the way to do it. In fact, as Rafe had told her constantly, obviously to no avail, that was more like an invitation.

"What's wrong, sweetheart, scared of a good time?" the drunk slurred, slipping a hand up the back of her shirt.

Tears filled the girl's eyes unbidden as she tried to fight him off, but she lack both the strength and the technique. "Where are you when I need you, Rafe?" she whispered.

"Oh, ya don't need Rafe, baby, ya got me!" the man whispered back, his breath hot and smelly in her ear, grasping her tightly as she tried one last time to escape.

"Somebody, help, please," Andy pleaded tearfully. Rafe had always been there to rescue her before things got out of hand, but he wasn't here now. Beka was fast asleep on the Maru, and Rev was who-knows-where. As the man moved his hand downward and leaned in towards her face, the tears slipped silently down her face and she meekly submitted to his touch. She began to cry in earnest as his lips found hers and his saliva, tasting mildly of alcohol, mingled with hers. She went limp in the man's arms as he pulled them into a forgotten corner and began to undress.

In the same moment as he started to undress her, she found herself on the floor, and huddled instinctively into a ball. She felt arms pick her up, not muscular, but strong enough to carry her slight figure. She struggled to get away from him.

"Don't worry, babe, I'm not going to hurt you, I'm just going to take you back home with me until..."

She didn't hear the rest of his sentence as oblivion finally claimed her.

*************************************** 

"Hello-o, beautiful. You gonna wake up anytime soon?" Why had he rescued the girl anyway? Sure, she was pretty. Okay, beyond pretty. Way beyond. As is gorgeous golden-red hair twisted back into an intricate braid framing an almost pixie-like face with flawless pale skin. "I need you to be awake so I can see your eyes."

Andy's emerald-streaked sapphire-blue eyes blinked open. A man's face slowly swam into view. Spiky hair, a thin face, and brown eyes focused into a vision of the cutest guy Andy had ever seen. Without knowing how, she knew that this was the guy who had saved her, and for some reason, she felt completely at ease.

"Hiya!" the man chirped, handing her a glass of what looked like water. "Drink this, it'll make ya feel better. You probably have a hell of a headache right now."

"Mmph," Andy replied, taking the glass and drinking slowly. After she finished half, she gave it back; she had stolen a quick glance around the room and didn't want to take from him what he probably didn't really have.

"Hey, you should finish all of it!" he protested. trying to force it back into her hands. She pushed it back, saying she was fine.

"Thank you for rescuing me," she said shyly, changing the subject. "I, um...that guy..."

"No problem. I'm Seamus Zelazny Harper, super-genius!" The girl laughed. He loved that laugh, although he wondered why he had introduced himself in that was to a beautiful woman. He tried to save face by kissing her hand and saying, "But you, my dear, may call me Harper."

She laughed again, and Harper smiled. "My name's Cassandra Valentine, your basic jack-of-all-trades, but you can call me Andy." She looked around his   
one-room hovel and saw some parts and tools that excited her. Caution was flung to the wind as she bounced on the bed and wondered, "Are you an engineer?"

"Why, yes, my dear lady." Harper had no clue how they had gotten on this subject. "Why do you ask?"

"How good are you?" Andy was so excited she forgot her manners. Here was a guy who had not only saved her and looked cute, but who looked like he would accept anything they paid him. If only he was good.

"How good am I? Sweetheart, you insult me. Why, are you looking for an engineer? Full-time?" Harper was beginning to catch the girl's enthusiasm. He didn't know what he had expected, if anything, when he'd saved the girl from the ugly drunk, but he would take a steady, paying job as a reward.

"Yes, we are! We can't pay you very well, not at first, but we have nice rooms and food, and I have some good tools you can use," Andy exclaimed, forgetting her cousin's admonition.

"Hey, Andy, I'm all for it. Anything is better than what I've got now." A huge grin lit up Andy's face as well as the entire room.

"Great! Get your stuff and follow me." She waited patiently as Harper gathered his meager belongings into a ratty-looking bag, then followed her out the door.

"So, who's we?" he asked as they began walking to his new home.

"Well, there's me, my cousin Rebecca..."

***************************************** 

"I tell you to find an engineer, and this is what you come up with?"

Andy winced as an enraged Rebecca yelled at her. "Rebecca, he's right here!"

"You're a no-good, useless stowaway!"

"Rebecca, at least give him a chance!" At Andy's pleading look, Beka softened. She had never been able to stay angry at her cousin for very long.

"Alright," she sighed, turning to Harper. "Mr. Harper, you have the job-if you meet our standards. You'll be expected to keep the engines up and running. You can have the room down the hall. Breakfast is at seven, you have to find lunch on your own unless you beg Andy, and dinner's at six-thirty. We can't pay you very much at the moment, so you'll have to accept that. Do you understand?"

"Yes, boss," the boy responded promptly, unfazed. Beka could grow to like the kid.

"You can call me Beka," she offered. "Now get to work. The engine room is to your right."

Beka waited until the boy had disappeared before she turned to Andy, who had sat down. "Where did you find him, anyway? Are you okay, kiddo?"

Andy had begun to look pale. The events of the past few hours finally caught up to her, and she started to cry.

"Sweetie, what happened?" Beka asked as she wrapped her arms around her cousin.

"Some-some drunk guy-he-he grabbed me-and-and he tried-he tried to-" Andy couldn't finish; she was sobbing too hard.

Beka felt awful. "Oh, honey, I'm so sorry, I should have gone with you!" She had forgotten how ill equipped Andy was to handle situations like that.

The girl cried for awhile, than whispered, "But Harper saved me."

"And that's why you hired him?"

"Partly," she said, still crying softly. "But it seemed right." After a little while, she asked, "Are you mad?"

Beka sighed. "No, Andy, of course not. We'll see what happens, and if it doesn't work out, we'll both go and find another engineer."

Andy stared into space as she replied, "Somehow, I know Harper will be staying for a long time."

And although the ship was warm, and she was warm from holding Andy, Beka shivered.

************************************** 

"Okay now, my little engines, you better be good now," Harper said as he closed up the access hatch. He felt eyes on his back, and looked up to see Andy Valentine looking curiously down at him.

"How are the engines?" she asked, hopping down with practiced ease.

"Well, they were pretty shot when I first got at them. The fuse was blown, and there were a bunch of little short-cuts-" he cut off when Andy blushed. "You did those?" At her nod, he continued. "They were really good, but in the long run, they helped to destroy the engines. Anyway, I downloaded some data from your database-hope you don't mind-and I fixed them up, good as new."

"You have a neural implant?" Andy asked. "Can I see?" He showed it to her, and laughed at her amazement. "Beka won't even let me ask what it is. She's afraid I'll want to get one. So I researched it for myself."

"Trust me babe, your neck looks much prettier without it," he replied, smiling at her. "So, tell me, where do you get that beautiful hair?"

"From the Valentine side of the family. Beka has red hair, too, but she...dyed it blonde. I get the curls from my mother's side," Andy told him, grimacing. "My hair is impossible. That's why I braid it."

"I'd love to see it down sometime," Harper suggested, winking. He was confused when Andy frowned and turned away.

"Harper," she started, "don't get me wrong. I think you're really cute, and sweet from what I've seen, but-Rebecca is very protective."

"Oh?" Harper raised an eyebrow.

"She doesn't like me getting involved with very many guys. I think she's had...guy problems over the years, and doesn't want me getting hurt. So, if you want to keep your job, hands off me," Andy finished sadly.

"Oh," Harper said, then smiled hopefully. "Can we still be friends?"

Andy grinned back. "I'd like that. I really would."

******************************************** 

Andy was fixing a device for Beka and humming softly when she felt strong hands massaging her shoulders. "Mmm, Harper, that feels good."

"Does it?" he asked her.

"Oh, yeah, don't stop." She leaned back against him as he eased the tightness of her shoulders and neck. It had become a nightly ritual. Harper had been on the ship for over a year now. Andy was now eighteen, soon to be nineteen, and Harper was twenty-one. Although Beka had forbid a romantic relationship, the two had grown into a close friendship, especially after Andy had helped Harper get over his fear of Rev Bem, their Magog crewmember. Now, Rev was as much an advisor to Harper as he had always been for Beka and Andy.

Harper brought Andy back to the present as he whispered into her ear, "Do you want to go out with me tonight?"

She pulled away abruptly. "Are you asking me out on a date?! Harper, you know what Beka will do!"

"Yes, I do!" he replied, pulling her back against him. "She'll yell at me and fire me, then you'll be so upset and she'll realize that she needs me too much and ask me back. If she finds out."

She pulled away again, and whirled to face him. "What do you mean, if she finds out?" "As of right now, Beka Valentine should be tucked away in her bed, fast asleep."

"Oh, Seamus, you didn't!"

"Andy, she'll be fine! I just slipped a few sleeping pills into her coffee. Rev told me she'd be fine," he assured her.

"You are a very foolish man. Why did you do that?"

He looked into her eyes. "I do believe I've fallen in love with you, Cassandra Valentine."

"Well, then, yes, I'll go out with you. Just let me get dressed."

Half an hour later, Andy walked into Harper's room where he was waiting impatiently. He turned to face her and said one word.

"Wow."

Andy was wearing a tight halter top that was tied at the neck and bared her midriff, and a very small, tight black skirt. Her hair was down for the first time that Harper had ever seen, and fell in waves of curls down her back.

"Is that a good wow, or a bad wow, because I can go change-" Harper cut her off.

"No, that's a good wow. That's a very good wow. Andy, you look absolutely stunning. I didn't even know you owned an outfit like that!"

"Rafe gave it to me for Christmas last year," she explained. "I never had the chance to wear it, before now."

He offered her his arm. "Shall we go?"

She smiled that beautiful smile of hers and took it. "Let's."

They returned around two o'clock in the morning, both drunk on feelings. Harper turned off all the lights, and put a disc in Beka's player.

"Harper, what are you doing?" He put a finger up to her lips.

"Shh. May I have this dance?"

She accepted, taking his hand in classic waltz style as the song started playing.

_When I find myself in times of trouble_   
_Mother Mary comes to me_   
_Speaking words of wisdom, let it be_   
_And in my hour of darkness_   
_She is standing right in front of me_   
_Speaking words of wisdom, let it be_   
_Let it be, let it be_   
_Let it be, let it be_   
_Whisper words of wisdom, let it be_

Andy moved so she was facing him and put her arms around his neck. He put his around her waist and they swayed gently as the music continued.

_And when the broken hearted people_   
_Living in the world agree_   
_There will be an answer, let it be_   
_For though they may be parted_   
_There is still a chance that they will see_   
_There will be an answer, let it be_   
_Let it be, let it be_   
_Let it be, let it be_   
_Yeah there will be an answer, let it be_   
_Let it be, let it be_   
_Let it be, let it be_   
_Whisper words of wisdom, let it be_   
_Let it be, let it be_   
_Ah let it be, yeah let it be_   
_Whisper words of wisdom, let it be_   
Harper could feel Andy shaking in his arms and realized she was crying. "Shh, sweetie, don't cry," he whispered quietly, even though he felt like crying himself. The lyrics hit too close to home for both of them.

_And when the night is cloudy_   
_There is still a light that shines on me_   
_Shine on until tomorrow, let it be_   
_I wake up to the sound of music_   
_Mother Mary comes to me_   
_Speaking words of wisdom, let it be_   
_Yeah let it be, let it be_   
_Let it be, yeah let it be_   
_Oh there will be an answer, let it be_   
_Let it be, let it be_   
_Ah let it be, yeah let it be_   
_Whisper words of wisdom, let it be_

As the song faded away, Andy added one last line, "There will be an answer, let it be." Harper kissed Andy and drew her into his room, where they found the answers to all their questions in each other.

******************************************** 

"Wow, Bek, you still look awful."   
  
Beka stuck her tongue out at him from her position on Andy's bed. She had, for once, caught a flu both Andy and Harper had, and it had hit her hard. "I still feel awful."

"Will you please hurry up and get better, Rebecca? I really would like my bed back," Andy complained. Beka hadn't felt like moving, and since none of them could carry her, on Andy's bed she stayed.

"Aw, lay off it, Andy. You've got the big bed," Beka replied.

"I don't want the big bed," Andy said peevishly, but Beka caught the upset look in her eyes.

"Alright, kiddo, I'll move back tonight," Beka promised, realizing that the almost twenty-three-year old had a hard time with ghosts.

"Would that be before or after you go to that party our new employer is holding in your honor?" Harper asked, winking at Andy. They hadn't been able to spend any time together recently; first Andy had gotten sick, then Harper, and then they had both been busy caring for Beka. Tonight would be their last chance before Andy left for two weeks to visit and help out her cousin.

"Oh, shit!" Beka cursed, and Andy looked mildly shocked. "Listen, you two are going to have to go instead of me."

"Aw, but Beka!" Harper whined, turning and winking at Andy.

"We were going to work on the engines-try to get a head-start because I'm going to be gone for awhile," Andy added, catching on quickly.

"Don't complain. You guys go together, give the guy my apologies, and have a good time. Just don't get home to late-and no fooling around!" Beka warned. "Now go get ready, or you're going to be late."

"Oh, alright. But I want a week's vacation for this!" Harper said.

"Done! Now, go have fun!"

Andy whispered to Harper as she was helping him to get ready, "Shay, you are so bad."

***************************************** 

"That was fun!" Harper exclaimed. "The food was great, the cocktails were excellent, and I'm coming home with a beautiful lady on my arm."

The beautiful lady, wearing a sparkling green dress that set off her eyes and pale complexion, smacked him upside the head. "Shay, I do believe you've had too much to drink."

"Hey, you downed quite a number yourself, Andy babe," Harper retorted, drawing her in for a kiss.

She responded passionately, having learned quite a bit over the four and a half years she and Harper had been together. They had helped each other immensely, Harper bringing Andy out of her shell and Andy calming Harper down. And, of course, having quite a few drinks helped.

"Ooh, do it again!" Andy begged breathlessly as he ended the kiss, but stumbled before he could.

"Mmm, looks like someone needs to go to bed," Harper said, touching her lightly on the nose.

"Give me an oxidant and I'll be ready," Andy replied, giggling helplessly as Harper swept her off her feet and carried her into the Maru. He didn't put her down as he kissed her again.

And nearly dropped her as he spied a dark figure in the doorway to Andy's room.

"What the hell, Shay?" Andy complained. "Help me up."

"Um, Andy, turn around."

She did, and the sight that greeted her eyes was enough to sober her completely. "Hello, Rebecca."

Despite the fact that she had spent the past week in bed, despite the fact that she was not quite healthy yet, despite the fact that she still had a low-grade fever, Rebecca Valentine stood tall and exploded at her cousin and her engineer.

"What the hell are you two doing?"

"Listen, boss, we can explain," Harper started.

"You are way past explaining, mister. You are fired. Pack your stuff and leave immediately. I want you off this ship in under one hour, or I will force you to leave myself and you will not like my methods. Now go!"

Harper scuttled off to his quarters, knowing that he couldn't do anything to save Andy.

Beka watched him impassionately, then turned to her cousin. "As for you, I cannot believe what you've done! I've given you a home for almost ten years, and this is how you repay me? You-"

Here, Andy broke in. "I what? I fell in love!"

"You fell in love with a backwards mudfoot from Earth who hits on every girl he meets! Who survived on the streets of Earth by being mean and nasty!"

"Who saved my soul and sanity once and would do so again in a heartbeat! Who loves me more than life itself! Tell me, Rebecca, have you seen him flirt with many girls in the past five years?"   
  
"He'll betray you, Andy. He'll hurt you and leave you first chance he gets! You should never have gotten involved with him in the first place. I should have seen it and stopped it!"

"Not all men are like our fathers, Rebecca. And it is up to me to choose who I love, who I want to spend the rest of my life with. I'm a big girl, Rebecca. I don't need your misguided attempts to protect me! If you want to apologize and to loosen up, leave me a message. I'll contact you." With that, Andy stalked out of the _Eureka Maru_, only allowing the tears to fall after she exited.

Within, Beka collapsed into Rev's waiting arms.

Please review. Pretty please! 


	7. As the Future Becomes the Present

Disclaimer: Tribune owns Andromeda. I own Andy!  
  
Author's Note: Hey, look! It's a new chapter of the fic that I started a million years ago! Thanks should go to Cassie for this...I was going to give it up! So...enjoy, read and review! (note: Paradise will be updated soon, as well)  
  
Let It Be  
  
Chaper Seven: As the Future Becomes the Present  
  
"And I never saw her again," Andy finished softly, taking a sip of Beka's untouched wine. "I heard about her every once in awhile, from Shy, so I knew she was okay...but...it wasn't the same."  
  
"It never is," Dylan agreed with a sad smile. "My fiancee...got left behind...You and Harper kept in touch?"  
  
"We felt awful about it, but we had to!" Andy told him, accepting the change in subject. "I just missed him so much, and he missed me. We even got together sometimes when he had shoreleave." She closed her eyes in sweet remembrance of the times they had partied, or when they had danced all night under the stars and slept till lunch, the many times Shay had tried to teach her to surf despite the fact that she couldn't stay on the board, and most of all, the nights they just spent catching up with each other.  
  
"Is that where you were when Beka's brother visited the Andromeda?" Dylan asked, jarring Andy out of her thoughts, but she laughed when she heard the question.  
  
"Yes, I went with Shay to Infinity Atoll." Andy grinned. "It was so much fun...even if Shay didn't win, I'll never forget the look on his face when I stood on the board...there I was, for one second, standing tall...and then I fell, or course, but...that was the last time I saw him."  
  
"Captain, you asked to know when we arrived at the drift. We just docked now," Andromeda's voice suddenly interrupted.  
  
Andy jumped at the voice, and looked at Dylan, confused. "Drift? What drift?"  
  
He smiled at her, and unhesitatingly, she smiled back.  
  
"Would you like to see Harper again?"  
  
Her eyes went wide, and she looked at him with an intense stare, trying to figure out whether he was telling the truth. If he was, this would be the first time she would be able to see him without feeling guilty...on the other hand, if he was lying, she had misjudged him like she never had misjudged anyone before. "Really?"  
  
He nodded, still smiling through his obvious unease. "Really. I'll have him come aboard right now. Why don't you go wait on Obs. Deck?"  
  
Andy bit her lip, but nodded and stood up to go. Right before she left the room, she turned around and asked, "Dylan? Where is the Obs deck?"  
  
She could see him fighting not to laugh as he ordered, "Rommie, please direct Miss Valentine to the Obs Deck."  
  
"Aye, Captain."  
  
Andy smiled greatfully at the tall man. "Thank you, Captain Hunt. For everything." 


	8. Pronoun Problems and Proposal

Disclaimer: I own Andy, she is MINE. Tribune owns Andromeda. John Lennon and Paul McCartney still own Let It Be  
  
Author's note: Thank you so much, Raven, for the wonderful review! And Cherubino, don't worry, I have a persistent Cassie Valentine who makes me write (*grins* thank you Cassie!)  
  
*********************************************  
  
Chapter Eight: Pronoun Problems and Proposals  
  
Andy Valentine hummed softly to herself as she looked out the window on Obs. Deck. It was just like Shay had described it-Freakin' humongous! She smiled as she looked out to the stars. "Pretty."  
  
"Why, thank you!"  
  
Andy jumped, looking nervously around for the voice. "You-you're welcome?" She shrieked as the little transparent figure of a women appeared in front of her face.  
  
"Woah, woah, calm down!" the hologram said, holding up her hands.  
  
"Who are you?" Andy asked, backing up a little.  
  
"My name is the Andromeda Ascendant, Shining Path to Truth and Knowledge AI model GRA 112, serial number XMC-10-182."  
  
Andy gazed at her with a look of utter shock. "You're the...ship?"  
  
"You can call me Rommie." The little woman smiled. "I'd shake your hand like most humans do, but it's a little hard to do in this form."  
  
Andy gave her a hesitant smile. "Then who directed me here?"  
  
"Oh, that would be one of my drones," Rommie replied. "I section off parts of my AI network to control them."  
  
"A network? So..." here Andy brightened up. This could be very cool. "People can go inside it?"  
  
"Harper does all the time!" Rommie agreed, rolling her eyes. "I think he finds the experience...oh, maybe a bit sexual. At least to his warped mind."  
  
"Yeah, that would be Shay," Andy said, but she frowned and muttered to herself, "I'm going to have to have a little talk with him about that."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. Are you two...involved?" Rommie asked uncomfortably.  
  
"What do you think?"  
  
Andy whirled around to look at the face that had suddenly appeared on the console behind her. "You're-you're you? You're the hologram?"  
  
"Sorry," the onscreen face said. "I tend to be a little tactless when it comes to relationships."  
  
"I do not! It was the natural thing to ask," the holographic version disagreed.  
  
"Wait-" Andy tried, helplessly confused.  
  
"I think that I'm jealous. Have I been mixing my network with that of the avatar's again?" That was the onscreen one. But who was she talking about?  
  
"I have not, and I very well know that!" The hologram spoke that time, but...their pronouns. What was wrong with their pronouns?  
  
"I think that's very unfair of me! What, I can't take a little teasing?" The onscreen version again! When would they stop?  
  
"Teasing myself is a pretty low blow!" And now back to the hologram...it was really too much.  
  
Andy burst into tears. At the same time, both the onscreen and holographic versions of Rommie exlcaimed, "Now look what I've done!"  
  
Andy heard the doors open, and she hoped it wouldn't be the avatar that she heard the other two talking about. But suddenly, she felt warm arms circle her shoulders, and someone rocked her back and forth and murmured, "Shhh, Andy-babe, it's okay, Rommie, engage privacy mode."  
  
"Sh-sh-shay?" Andy sobbed out, wrapping her arms around him and just enjoying being held again.  
  
"Sweetie, what's wrong," he asked, brushing her hair away from her face and wiping the tears away.  
  
"The...the Rommies...they were having an argument and-" she started crying harder, and Shay hugged her to him. When she felt him shaking, she tried desperately to stop her tears and looked at him to see that he was laughing. "Seamus Z-zelazny H-harper, I-I-"  
  
"I'm sorry, baby, I'm so sorry, it's just that Rommie-she takes some getting used to. I'll take you into her network someday!" he said, grinning at her, then sobered. "But you won't be here for that long, will you. Dylan told me that Rafe just dropped you off because you were hurt...Beka's gonna flip!"  
  
"No, no, Shay, no, Beka said it's okay!" Now it was her turn to smile at his look of shock.  
  
"Beka said what?"  
  
Andy gave him a brilliant smile, tears forgotten. "She said it's okay! If Captain Hunt will let me, I can stay and we can be together and everything!"  
  
"That wasn't painkiller-induced delusion?" She shook her head, and he enveloped her in a crushing hug. "Andy, that's great, that's perfect!"  
  
"I know! Beka said it's okay!" Andy repeated, loving the sound of that.  
  
He swung her around the room and she laughed the entire time, just focusing on his face. He was still the same as the first time she had seen him, although a little more fleshed out. There was that spiky hair, the brown eyes...as he started to slow, she bent her head down and kissed him and he responded like he usually did, with the same passion as the first time they kissed, six years ago.  
  
Suddenly, he pulled away, and knelt down on the floor, and Andy's heart leapt up into her throat. "I know this isn't the time, and maybe even not the place, and I don't have a ring for you, but I promise I'll get you one and I'll ask Beka if it's still okay but oh hell, Cassandra Valentine, will you marry me?"  
  
She swallowed convusively, and she couldn't speak at all. She watched Harper's face fall, ever-so-slowly...he was convinced she'd say no. Finally, she forced her head to move up and down...and his face grew brighter...and she forced her mouth to move. "Yes...Shay..."  
  
She didn't need to say anymore as he jumped up and threw his arms around her and kissed her until she could barely breath. And the tears ran down both their faces and mingled as they became one once more, and at the same time, as if their spirits and bodies and voices had combined, they whispered, "There will be an answer...let it be..."  
  
**************************************  
  
To be continued...don't worry, it's not over yet! 


	9. Insanity Insues

Author's Note: Here ya go, Raven! Andy tells Beka...Please read and review, look for another part coming soon!  
  
Chapter Nine: Insanity Insues  
  
"You're what?!"  
  
"Getting married," Andy whispered to her cousin. It was happening all over again. Beka would get mad and Andy would say something wrong and then they'd be apart again and Andy would have to go live with Rafe again.  
  
"I can't believe it! Getting married! Married! Are you two insane? I'd always expected you to find someone nice someday and get married, but not Harper!" Andy suddenly found herself swept up in a crushing hug. "I'm so happy for you, Andy! Oh, I know you can make it work, and if Harper ever hurts you I'll kill him, but he'll be good Andy, he can't help but be good."  
  
"You-you-" Andy stuttered, not quite able to believe what Beka was saying. "Harper was gonna come tell you with me but Dylan Hunt needed him and we're really sorry about getting engaged and everything-"  
  
"What's there to be sorry about? I'm happy for you!" Beka repeated, smiling.  
  
"I don't have to go away?"  
  
"What?" Beka looked confused. Andy supposed she had the right to be. They shouldn't have taken advantage of Beka when she was sick. Beka probably didn't even remember that night, or what had happened leading up to it.  
  
"Well...I...thought you wouldn't like us getting married...at least not so soon," Andy mumbled, head down.  
  
"Hey, Andy. You are my favorite cousin. Harper's my favorite engineer. Two of my favorite people, getting married. I personally don't believe in marriage at the moment, but it's great for you two!" Beka insisted. Andy looked at her, and decided that Beka was telling the truth for the moment...she wasn't being sarcastic...  
  
Andy smiled. "Thank you, Beka."  
  
"Hmmm...don't thank me," Beka said, grinning and putting an arm around Andy's shoulders. "Just name your first kid after me..."  
  
"I feel sorry for the kid if it's a boy," Harper exclaimed, having just walked in.  
  
"Well, look who finally decided to show up," Beka said, putting her other arm around Harper.  
  
"I take it that it went well, since you're not screaming at me to get out and Andy's still here?" Harper asked, rolling his eyes at Andy, who giggled.  
  
"Yes, it did," Beka said, and gave Harper a kiss on the cheek. "Now you two have fun, and no sex before you get married."  
  
"But Beka, we--" Harper and Andy started at the same time.  
  
"I don't want to know!" Beka called over her shoulder as she exited the room.  
  
Andy and Harper looked at each other and burst out laughing. Things couldn't have gone much better. 


	10. One Wedding and Some Special News

Author's Note: Hey, look, another chapter! For Cassie, because she said she was bored and that was, strangely enough, my inspiration...please read and review!  
  
Chapter Ten: One Wedding and Some Special News  
  
The wedding was wonderful.  
  
Andy was radiant. It is said that all brides look beautiful on their wedding day, and Andy was no exception. She was even filled with some sort of confidence that would never reposses her...with each step, it was as if she knew that this was her day...and that this was what she wanted most in the world.  
  
Rafe gave her away. Beka had sent him a message and demanded that he come; almost everyone had been shocked when he gave no protest, and even showed up a few days early to help out. Andy was the only one who remained unsurprised...she had quietly insisted that he would keep his promises...she knew he loved her, and she knew that he realized how important this was to her. And so they walked down the aisle together, arm in arm...Beka would later say it was the only thing in the world that Rafe had ever done right.  
  
Beka herself was the maid of honor, in pants and a nice shirt. Even though Rommie and Trance had begged her to wear a dress, Andy had laughed and told them to let Beka wear what she wanted to wear. By the middle of the wedding, Beka had tears in her eyes...although she would fiercly deny it later.  
  
Rev married them. He was a priest, after all, and although neither Andy nor Harper truly believed in his Divine, they wouldn't have accepted being married by anyone else. Harper had been heard to comment that his family on Earth would have fainted dead away if they knew he was going to be married by a Magog. Rev replied that the Universe has a sense of humor.  
  
Dylan and Rommie stood at full military attention. Neither knew Andy very well, and Rommie was still a bit embarrassed that she had made Andy cry, but both knew Harper and both wished the happy couple the best of luck and all the happiness in the world.  
  
Trance was her normal, bouncy, purply self. She couldn't stop telling Harper and Andy how happy she was for them, and how she knew that they'd have a wonderful marriage. Harper got her to tone it down by asking her if she knew purple knew or knew hoped knew.  
  
Tyr made a brief appearance at the small reception. He told Harper that they would have to see whether Andy was a worthy match, and then left before Andy became too upset.  
  
Harper was simply giddy and nervous, as if he still couldn't believe that he was actually getting married. He fidgeted next to Andy at the altar, he fidgeted through the tiny reception line, he fidgeted during the reception, he fidgeted during toasts, he fidgeted while he was dancing with Beka and Rommie and Trance. The only times he didn't fidget was when he kissed the bride and when he danced with the bride to Let It Be.  
  
Eventually, the reception was over, everyone was ready to retire to their respective rooms, and Andy and Harper were ready for their wedding night.  
  
The only word they ever used to describe it was amazing.  
  
And they went through the next day with goofy smiles plastered on their faces.  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
"Harper, where's Andy?"  
  
"Sleeping."  
  
"Again?" Beka made an annoyed face. "What's she always sleeping for?"  
  
"Hey, you have no right to complain!" Harper retorted.  
  
"Oh, I don't? And so the Maru doesn't get fixed for awhile because Andy is sleeping!" Beka exclaimed, glaring at him.  
  
"You're not getting the--ummm...worst deal!" Harper said, changing his statement in mid-sentence and hoping Beka wouldn't catch on.  
  
So of course, she did. "And the worst deal would be...what, exactly."  
  
"The...nausea. Plus what comes along with it," Harper muttered.  
  
"And why haven't you taken her to see Trance?!" Beka yelled at him. "Some husband you're turning out to be!"  
  
"Hey, wait a second, Rebecca! You know how stubborn Andy can be when she doesn't think she's sick enough to warrant a medical visit! I'm not the one who nearly let her die that one time on that Drift!" Harper shouted back.  
  
"Well, I'll just go take her to Trance, then!" Beka said, then stalked out in a huff.  
  
"You do that," Harper muttered sarcastically.  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
"Andy, next time you feel sick, I want you to come see me right away, especially now," Trance lectured, although she was grinning.  
  
"I promise, Trance," Andy said shyly, smiling back at both her and Beka.  
  
"So, I see someone managed to drag you in here, Andy babe," Harper said, rolling his eyes.  
  
"Harper, we're having a baby," Andy whispered.  
  
"I mean, you should have come in when you first started feeling-what?!" Harper exclaimed as he realized what Andy said. "We're having a baby? You're having my baby? You're having our baby?"  
  
"Unless Andy slept with someone else..." Beka said before Trance managed to drag her out of the room.  
  
"We're having a baby!" Harper said again in amazement.  
  
Andy giggled and nodded. "We're having a baby."  
  
"We're having a baby!" 


	11. If Only We Could Be In Oz

Author's Note: Raven, I'm so glad I made you feel better...If you're not so happy now, though, I would suggest you only read down to the Oz reference...  
  
Chapter dedicated to Raven, because she leaves the best reviews; Laura, because she got so excited when she read the story; and Cassie, because she gave the chapter it's title...she's good for lots of stuff.  
  
Chapter Eleven: If We Could Only Be In Oz  
  
All in all, things were going pretty well. Sure, Harper would have liked to have waited a few more months before pregnancy, but it was okay. He loved working with Andy, anyway...he had missed working beside her on engineering problems, and giving her a daily massage. He had been a little worried that the spark would have gone out of their relationship without that air of it being "illegal," at least in Beka's eyes...but he had forgotten that they were friends first. And friends always stay together.  
  
"Shay?" He was broken out of his thoughts by a small voice.  
  
"Hey, Andy babe, my darling wife!" He loved saying that. "Aren't you supposed to be resting?"  
  
She smiled at him. "Trance said it's fine for me to work for parts of the day, now. For a few hours at a time."  
  
He grinned at her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Part of him wanted to look nervously around for Beka, but he resisted the urge. "And what did the sparkly purple one say about going into Rommie's matrix?"  
  
Andy's eyes were shining at that suggestion. They hadn't had the time to go in together as of yet, with the wedding preparations, and then Andy's extended morning sickness had showed up, but Andy had been dying to go in ever since she had found out Rommie was an AI. "Really? Aren't you busy?"  
  
"Too busy for you? Of course not!" Harper said, smiling at her and wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "Romdoll, how about you let me and Andy in and we show her around?"  
  
"Let me check with Trance," the hologram said, disappearing and reappearing the next instant. "She says you can go ahead. As long as she doesn't stay in too long and she comes out if she's tired."  
  
The grins on Andy and Harper's faces matched perfectly as only two people in complete harmony can match.  
  
In a few minutes, Harper had the glasses hooked up (the only pause had been Rommie's slight annoyance at Andy's comment that they were the ugliest things she's ever seen, after which Andy immediately looked ashamed and apologized) and he placed them gently on Andy's face. "Okay, Andy, it's just like on the Maru, only a lot bigger and there's a lot more code. I'm going to go in first, okay?"  
  
She smiled, amused at his concern. "Okay."  
  
He plugged himself in, and was immediately swept into the inner core of Rommie's matrix. "Okay, Romdoll, send her in!"  
  
Seconds later, Andy appeared next to him with an awed look on her face. "Shay, that was amazing! It was even longer than on the Maru!"  
  
"Think that's amazing? Take a look around," Harper prompted, nudging her in the right direction.  
  
She swiveled where she stood, all the way around. "This is incredible! It's...it's...I can't even describe it."  
  
"Well, you're forgiven for saying how ugly the glasses are," Rommie said, appearing in front of them as a big giant head. Andy shrieked and her electronic representation jumped into Harper's arms.  
  
"Woah, Rommie! Wizard of Oz imitation not needed!" Harper shouted at her.  
  
"Woops," the head muttered, then reappeared in miniature. "Sorry I keep scaring you, Andy."  
  
Andy stayed where she was. "Harper, I think I'm done now."  
  
Harper gave her a concerned look. "Andy darlin, are you okay?"  
  
She shook her head slightly. "I want to leave."  
  
"All right...sorry, Romdoll, but we'll have to continue this little party another time."  
  
"Of course," she replied stiffly.  
  
Harper quickly unplugged. Once he could see the ship around him and Andy simply sitting on the floor, her glasses not even off, his heart leaped into his throat and he jumped over to Andy. Quickly, he pulled the glasses off and threw them on the floor in his haste to see her face. To his great dismay, she was white as a sheet, and a sheen of perspiration covered her forehead. She started to tremble as he picked her up and started running to Med Deck, shouting to Rommie to have Trance meet them there immediately.  
  
"Hold on, Andy baby, it'll be okay. I promise, it's going to be okay."  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
"Trance...Trance, what's wrong with her?" a worried Harper persisted as he peered over Trance's shoulder.  
  
"Yeah, what is it?" Beka chimed in from next to Andy's bed. Both Valentines were pale, but while with Beka it was simply the paleness of worry over her cousin, Andy's face had no color in it at all, save for two bright red spots on her cheeks. She had slipped into either sleep or unconsciousness shortly after her arrival onto Med Deck, and hadn't stirred since.  
  
Trance turned with a distressed look on her face that she didn't even bother to hide. Walking towards Andy, she said, "Her fever is very high. The baby is placing too much of a stress on her system. I'm going to give her some fever-reducers-"  
  
"No!" Beka and Harper shouted at the same time.  
  
"Why not?" Trance exclaimed.  
  
"She's allergic," Beka whispered into the awful silence that followed. "That's why I had such a hard time taking care of her when she was little...the only reason she got healthy in the hospital so fast was because she was almost better by then..."  
  
"Then...she can't deal with the stress on her system. If I could just get the fever down, somehow, she'd be fine with a lot of bed rest and if I kept a careful eye on her...but...with the fever..." Trance was so choked up she could barely finish. "The baby...I'm going to have to abort the pregnancy...or she'll die."  
  
To Harper, it seemed like his perfect world had suddenly fallen out beneath him and he was falling...  
  
To Be Continued... 


	12. Only the Good

Disclaimer: Andy is mine, as I believe you all know:D Andromeda is Tribune's.  
  
Author's Note: Minor changes to Chapter 11. Continuity issues from this chapter solved. And I make no claims on the credibility of the medical stuff.  
  
IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S REQUEST: I'm starting a new project...no, not a new story, this one's got to be finished first! It's called the Make Jen's Writing Better Project (Jen would be me, in case you didn't know:D). But I need help.  
  
When you review, if you review, could you please tell me one thing I'm doing WRONG? Tell me where my writing sucks! Where it needs improvement! Just one thing...for this chapter, or any other chapter.  
  
And if anyone would be willing to do the job full-time, I'd love you forever (and be happy to reciprocate), and my e-mail's nsane1@optonline.net.  
  
So please, what's wrong with this story?  
  
Chapter dedicated to Laura...because of what happened 4th period and because she still went and got me food cause she's the best!  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
Chapter Twelve: Only the Good  
  
Beka barely noticed when Harper was gently led to a chair by Trance; she was too busy staring at Andy, still as death. She felt her hands begin to tremble, and she clenched the sides of the chair so hard, her knuckles turned white. Abort the pregnancy. Lose the baby. Her first cousin once removed; more like her niece or nephew. Andy and Harper's child. Beka couldn't even bear to look at Harper, didn't want to see the dead look on his face. Five months. Andy had only been pregnant for five months, but she and Harper had thought up names. Charlotte Rebecca for a girl. Brendan Rafael for a boy. They had planned out how to take care of their child. Who would feed it when. Where it would sleep. The line-up of babysitters. They were completely prepared for everything. Except the reaction of Andy's own body.  
  
"Trance..." Beka was pleased, in an odd, half-conscious sort of way, that her voice didn't tremble. "There must be some way to save the baby."  
  
Trance's voice was choked up. "There isn't, Beka. I almost knew when she slept so much...when she was sick in the mornings for too long...Beka, the fever is too much for her. I can save Andy, but the baby..."  
  
"Isn't there anything...there must be something you can do!" Beka exclaimed desperately.  
  
"Even if I got her fever down...and even if her temperature stayed in a normal range...she still probably wouldn't survive the birth," Trance said with much hesitation.  
  
Beka abruptly stood up and grabbed Trance by the shoulders. "Trance! You said she'd been fine! You said the baby would be fine, you purple said!"  
  
"I don't know everything!" Trance exclaimed, close to tears. "I don't want either of them to die, Beka!"  
  
"Then tell me how we can prevent that from happening! Tell me!" Beka demanded, fighting the urge to shake Trance violently.  
  
Trance suddenly regained her composure, pushed Beka's hands away, and gently applied pressure to her shoulders until Beka gave in and sat down. "Beka, calm down. I'll look in the computer. In the meantime, I want you to breathe, okay? And see if you can get Harper talking."  
  
"What about Andy?"  
  
"Let her be for the moment," Trance said, although she placed a cool cloth on Andy's forehead.  
  
While Trance searched, Beka took Harper's hand and held it tight. "Harper?...Seamus?...Shay?..."  
  
"The baby," he whispered after he was addressed by Andy's nickname.  
  
"Trance is trying to save it, but-"  
  
Harper interrupted her. "But Andy...what if Andy dies?"  
  
"We won't let it come to that, Seamus; Trance will abort the-"  
  
He broke in again. "Beka, Andy can't lose the baby. You know what it will do to her. You know what the baby means to her."  
  
"I know," Beka whispered, and Harper got up to stand by Andy and hold her hand.  
  
"Beka?" Trance's voice came tentatively, and Beka jumped.  
  
Beka didn't want to hope. "Yeah?"  
  
"Can you please come here?"  
  
Beka followed the instruction, almost tiptoing because she couldn't bear to make a sound. She stood behind Trance and waited.  
  
"Beka, do you know exactly which kinds of fever-reducers Andy is allergic to?"  
  
Beka shrugged, even though she could feel that this was important. "Whatever they use in hospitals."  
  
A flicker of hope crossed Trance's face and was gone just as quickly. "I found something-" and it was all Beka could do to stay quiet-"It's an old medicine...very old...so old that it stopped being used and even produced before Dylan's former time...It's very unlikely that Andy could be allergic...does ibuprofen ring any bells?"  
  
Beka shook her head. "Never heard of it."  
  
"Then this may work," Trance said softly. Before Beka could say anything, Trance continued. "But Beka, it's still a huge risk. If the ibuprofen doesn't work, we'll still have to abort the pregnancy. If she has an allergic reaction, with the stress already on her system, both she and the baby with die. If it works, she'll need complete bedrest from now until the birth. And..."  
  
Beka could finally get a word in. "And what?!"  
  
"And we'd have to do a cesarean section prematurely. From what I can see, Andy would not be able to carry the baby full term...she's have to have it at 7, maybe 8 months. Because of that, and because of her illness...there would be a high chance that the baby would be deformed in some way," Trance finished, almost inaudible by the end.  
  
Beka swallowed hard. "I...I...think we should ask Harper...and Andy."  
  
"That's...a good idea," Trance agreed.  
  
Beka walked through a fog to Harper...heard Trance explain the situation to him through a fog...heard him insist that Andy should make the decision through a fog...  
  
She nearly woke up when Trance started to give Andy a stimulant, but Beka decided it was too much of an effort. Those sapphire-emerald eyes that Beka could never forget fluttered open.  
  
"What...what's going on?" Andy asked with some effort. "Hot..."  
  
Trance ran over her face with the wet cloth, while Harper squeezed her hand. Which left Beka to tell her what was happening.  
  
"Andy, sweetie, do you remember the baby?"  
  
Andy looked at her with a bewildered expression. "Of course I do...why, Rebecca?"  
  
"Andy, you're sick...the baby...it's making you sick...you've got a fever..." Beka almost couldn't deal with the stricken look on Andy's face, but she rushed on before she started to cry. "Andy, aborting the pregnancy is one solution, but Trance has a new fever-reducer...one we don't think you're allergic to, but you may be...but she could give it to you and you could have the baby early and there's a chance both of you would be fine but you or the baby or both of you could die, Andy...it's your choice...we can't make it for you, Andy, we can't make it for you..."  
  
Andy looked at Harper, whose expression Beka couldn't read. With a strength in her voice that was rarely heard, Andy said, "I want to have the baby."  
  
In the silence that followed, Trance administered the medicine.  
  
To Be Continued... 


	13. The Importance of Emotional Well-Being

Author's Note: Okay, somehow all the cliches in the galaxy managed to work their way in here, but hey, I'm too tired to fix them. And this is has demanded that some Beka/Tyr must be written in somewhere.... Sorry this hasn't been updated lately, but real life is worse than hell right now...Please read and review, and tell me what's wrong if ya can!  
  
Oh, and a big thank you to Raven, first for telling me something wrong! And then for giving me such a wonderful and amazing review...really, it's people like you who make me want to keep writing. So a huge thank you, which can never be enough, but thank you anyway! And hugs to you and all my other wonderful reviewer peoples!  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
Chapter 13:  
  
The room was silent. All Beka could hear was Andy's labored breathing, and even that was gradually fading away to more even, quiet breaths. She supposed that was a good thing, but even so, the silence in the room was far too loud.  
  
"Her fever's down to 100 degrees farenheit," Trance said suddenly, making Beka jump and release a breath she hadn't known she was holding.  
  
"That's good?" Beka asked tentatively.  
  
"That's better," the Purple One clarified. "It looks like it's going to come down further, and she's showing no signs of an allergic reaction. The drug worked."  
  
"Thank goodness," Harper said with a sigh of relief, although they weren't quite out of the woods yet.  
  
Andy's eyes fluttered open, more coherent than they had been since she had closed them to enter into the Andromeda's matrix. "Where am I?" she murmured tiredly.  
  
"You're on Med Deck," Harper told her quietly, gently, brushing her hair back from her face. He was far too calm. "There was some trouble with the baby, do you remember?"  
  
"A little. Is the baby okay?" Andy asked worriedly.  
  
As Harper reassured her, and they talked in hushed voices and the situation was explained, Beka couldn't go over there and join in the conversation, no matter how much she wanted to. The Med Deck was beginning to feel constricted.  
  
"Beka?" Trance touched her hand, but Beka barely felt it. "Are you all right? You look a little pale."  
  
"I-I need to get out of this room," Beka mumbled, then jumped up and practically ran out, not hearing Andy cry her name.  
  
Once she had cleared the door and it had shut firmly behind her, Beka did run, as fast as she could, to the workout room. Andromeda's concerned inquiries fell on deaf ears. The workout room was empty. She proceeded to try and kill the punching bag. Left right right right left kick right right kick left left right left don't think.  
  
An indeterminable amount of time later, the door opened, and a tall figure entered the room. It was ignored. When the figure touched Beka's shoulder, she whirled on it and fought as hard as she could. Her arms were pinned firmly to her side by two dark arms which encircled her body. She fought for heartbeats longer, then gave up and went limp. Gasping and not really paying attention to much, she felt herself being lowered to the floor, still enclosed in those arms.  
  
"Breathe, Rebecca," a calm voice advised, and she did just that.  
  
When she no longer felt like she was going to pass out from lack of air, and realized that she had probably made a fool of herself, and finally opened her eyes to see who she was lying on, her look of surprise must have been apparent, for Tyr Anasazi out of Victoria by Barbarossa felt the need to explain himself.  
  
"The ship told me you were attempting to hurt yourself, and as I am currently the only one who has the ability to contain you...here I am," he said awkwardly. Beka noted that he still didn't release her.  
  
"Hi Tyr," she said, in a voice that was too calm and far too controlled. "Guess I just lost all that non-existent respect you had for me." She didn't move away from him.  
  
"Rebecca..." He shook his head and didn't comment. He was right; it didn't deserve a comment and she shouldn't have said it. "Would you like to tell me why you attacked the punching bag?"  
  
"It started it."  
  
"Rebecca."  
  
"No one here by that name."  
  
"Beka."  
  
"That would be me."  
  
He started to stroke her hair and, in a gentle voice that she never expected, said, "Beka, the reason you acted that way is important to me. You are an essential part of the crew, and your emotional well-being is currently a matter of concern. I will listen to anything you have to tell me, or, if you like, I will find someone else for you to talk to."  
  
If he hadn't been stroking her hair, she might have stayed strong and tough, and refrained from talking to him. But once he did that, and she started talking, she couldn't stop.  
  
She told him about Andy. How much she loved Andy, how much it had irrationally hurt when Andy had fallen in love with Harper behind her back and then how it had hurt more when Beka realized that she had been the only one wrong when she pushed Andy away. How she had gone through her life in pain and her nights in nightmares thinking about what could have happened to Andy and playing what if with herself, and deciding time after time to go find Andy only to stop just before entering slipstream because she knew with absolute certainty that Andy wouldn't want to see her or talk to her. What it had been like to see Andy again, to touch her, to hug her and assure herself that Andy was all right, that Rafe hadn't killed her even though he'd tried. What it had been like to see the joy on Andy's face when she had been given the okay to marry Harper. What it had been like to receive the news that Andy was pregnant, and listening to Andy and Harper plan everything. And finally, what it had been like to feel that castle of joy come tumbling down when the whole mess had started.  
  
Tyr listened, did not judge, said nothing, and continued holding Beka when she started to cry.  
  
When she had quieted, he whispered into her ear, "You are not weak, Rebecca. You are quite possibly the strongest female I have had the privilege to meet, and this only makes you stronger. You have weathered the situation. Now go speak to your cousin."  
  
She was helped up, and she washed her face. Head held high and fists clenched tightly at her side, she marched impassively to Med Deck. She gently took Andy's hand in hers, not noticing the exit of Trance and Harper, and said,  
  
"So, Andy sweetie, how are you feeling?" 


End file.
